Collar stay



F. A. WEEKS July 18, 1961 COLLAR STAY Filed June 19, 1959 FIGZ INVENTOR.

FRANK A. WEEKS WV I E FIGS United States Patent 2,992,434 COLLAR STAY Frank A. Weeks, 23 N. Maury St., Holly Springs, Miss. Filed June 19, 1959, Ser. No. 821,424

1 Claim. (Cl. 2-132) This invention relates to a collar stay adapted for use in connection with soft shirt or dress shirt collars to hold and retain the wings thereof in an extended position.

There have been a number of collar stays of this general type heretofore proposed. The commonly known type is that which includes a pair of telescopically constructed legs that are adapted to respectively fit under the wings of a collar and which legs are connected adjacent the upper ends thereof by a transverse resilient wire member that fits under the tie knot. In this general type of collar stayhaving the transverse member, there are many disadvantages therein, among them being the following:

(1) The transverse wire is not fixedly attached but may move out of place; i

(2) There is difliculty in putting the stay in place due to its interference with the tie; and

(3) The inability of theishirt collar to be opened, as for example, when a sport shirt is worn without a tie and it is desired to wear it with the button undone.

The present invention is particularly directed towards providing a separable set of collar stays having no transverse member connecting the pair so that the shirt collar may be worn unbuttoned if desired. A set of collar stays of this general type is disclosed in my Patent No. 2,872,684, dated February 10, 1959, and entitled, Collar Brace. The present invention embodies basic improvements over the device disclosed in said patent, particularly in the means for attaching the brace to the collar. In said patent,-tlie attachment means did not insure a positive attachment at all times due to variations in neck sizes and the inexactness of the alignment of the triangular member and the neck band of the shirt. Also, in the device in my said patent, the stays were not adapted to permit the collar to be opened and lay flat since the points thereof would disengage from the material of the collar. Whereas, in the present invention, a hooktype fastening means is provided which positively secures the inner end of the brace either to the tie or' to the double thickness of cloth at the neck band so that there is no possibility of accidental disengagement; and, if desired, the collar may be unbuttoned and laid flat without causing the disengagement of the stays.

Thus, one of the principal objects of the present invention is to provide a collar stay having a positive attachment means for eliminating accidental removal thereof.

A further object is to provide a collar stay permitting opening of the collar and which is adapted to be worn with sport shirts.

A further object is to provide a collar stay which is quick, convenient and easy to put in place for wearing and to remove.

A further object is to provide a simple and inexpensive structure" which is easy to manufacture and yet highly eflicient.

A further object is to provide an improved collar stay for maintaining the wings of a collar in an extended position in which the creases and wrinkles or the like are removed therefrom.

A further object is generally to improve the design and construction of collar stays.

The means by which the foregoing and other objects of the present invention are accomplished and their manner of accomplishment will be readily understood from the following specification upon reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a collar and necktie showing a set of my collar stays in applied position, and with a portion of one of the collar wings being broken away for purposes of illustration.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the collar of a sport shirt showing a set of my collar stays in applied position, and with a portion of one of the collar wings being broken away for purposes of illustration.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged elevational view of one of the collar stays of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3, but showing the tube, sleeve and spring in section and taken as on a plane through the longitudinal centerline thereof.

FIG. 5 is a further enlarged fragmentary view of the penetrating end of the collar stay taken as on the line V-V of FIG. 4.

Referring now to the drawings in which the various parts are indicated by numerals, the collar stays of the present invention are composed of a set, one right-hand collar stay 11 and one left-hand collar stay '13. Collar stays 11, 13 are of similar construction and the following detailed description of collar stay 13 will suflice for both.

Collar stay 13 comprises, in general, an elongated brace 15 which includes a first brace member 17, preferably in the form of a tube, and a second brace member 19 telescopically mounted relative to the first brace member whereby the brace is shiftable between extended and retracted positions. A' wire 23. is mounted in the upper end of brace member 17 and is looped outwardly through an opening 25 in the side of the brace member to form a projection 27, the function of which will 'be more apparent in the description to follow. Wire 23 thenextends upwardly from projection 27 through the .end of brace member 21 where it is secured relative theretoby any suitable means such as,- for example, bycrimping or by means of solder. Wire 23 then extends upwardly for a portion and thence curves downwardly to form hook 29 disposed to one side of brace 15 and having a pointed end 31. A sleeve 32 is fixedly mounted on the end of first brace member 17 adjacent projection 27 and extends upwardly therefrom in spaced encircling relationship relative to wire 23. The purpose of sleeve 32 will be more apparent in the description to follow of the use of the device of the present invention.

Second brace member 19 is preferably formed of a continuous wire 33, the upper end of which is slidably mounted brace member 21 and is looped outwardly adjacent the upper end thereof through an elongated slot 35 to form a stop 37. From stop 37, wire 33 extends downwardly through the lower end of brace member 21 and has formed in the lower end thereof a double loop 39 which terminates in a penetrating point 41, which projects outwardly at an angle as best seen in FIG. 5. The relationship between penetrating point 41 and hook 29 is as follows: The point 41 extends at an angle outwardly in a plane which is substantially perpendicular to the plane in which hook 29 is disposed. In other words, with stay 13 in the position shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, in which it will be seen hook 29 is disposed substantially in the plane of the drawing sheet, penetrating point 41 extends outwardly at an angle towards the viewer in a plane substantially perpendicular to the plane of the drawing sheet.

Resilient means, as a spring 43, is disposed on brace member 21 with the spring extending between projection 27 and stop 37 to urge second brace member 19 downwardly relative to first brace member 17 so that the brace 15 is urged into the extended position best shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. The extension of brace 15 is limited by stop 37 abutting brace member 17 at the portion 44 thereof that defines the end of slot 35. It will be understood fore-Jdescribed except that the hook 45 of stay 11 extends to the left rather than to the right as hook 29 does when .viewed in FIG. 3.

In using the stays 11, 13 of the present invention, with a tie 47 and a buttoned collar 49 as shown in FIG. 1, the

.wings 51, 53 are lifted upwardly and the hooks 29, 45 are booked through the material of portion 55 of the tie which encircles the wearer's neck. It will be understood that sleeve 32 prevents the material of portion 55 from slipping down too far on wire 23, yet does not hold the Wire in an inflexible position. When hooked properly, hooks 29, .45 will extend outwardly away from one another as best shown in FIG. 1, so that the penetrating points 41 are next to the wings 51, 3 and may be positioned therein by first retracting the stays '11, 13- and thence permitting them to extend.

When using stays 11, 1-3 on a sport shirt collar 57, as shown in'FIG. 2., the stays are placed thereon in substantiallythe same manner as heretofore described for collar 49 except that the hooks 29, 45 are hooked through the double thickness of cloth at the neckband 59 of the sport shirt.

From the foregoing description, it will be understood that there is absolutely no way for the stays 11, 13 to become accidentally disengaged from tie 47 or neckband 59.

Although the invention has been described and illustrated with respect to a preferred embodiment thereof, it is to be understood that it is not to be so limited since changes and modifications may be made therein which are within the full intended scope of this invention as hereinafter claimed.

I claim:

A collar stay for use on a collar wing comprising an elongated brace including a tubular first brace member and a Wire-like second brace member telescopically mounted in the end of said first brace member whereby said elongated brace is shiftable between extended and retracted positions, said first brace member being provided with an opening and an elongated slot, said second brace member having a portion extending outwardly through said slot to provide a stop slidable in saidslot and adapted to limit extension of said brace, said second brace member extending from said stop outwardly through the end of said first brace member and terminating in a collar penetrating point, a second wirelike member fixedly mounted in the end of said firstbrace member opposite from said second brace member, said second wire-like member extending outwardly through said opening for a portion to provide a projection and thence extending outwardly beyond the end of-said first brace member in a curved disposition to establish a hook having a pointed end for engaging a tie portion orthe neckband of a shirt when said stay is in applied position upon said collar wing, said hook defining the terminalend of said collar stay, said hook and said penetrating point lying in planes which are substantially perpendicular, a sleeve fixedly mounted on .the end of said first brace member and extending outwardly therefrom in spaced encircling relationship relative to said second wire-like member for preventing the engaged portion of the tieor neck-band from slipping down too far on saidhoolgand a compression spring mounted on said firstbrace-member between said projection and said stop to urge said brace towards an extended position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES-PATENTS 2,066,636 Manaster Jan. 5, 1937 2,501,046 Gugino Mar. 21, 1950 2,872,684 weekS F617. 1Q, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 225,547 Switzerland May 1, 1943 909,241 France Dec. 10,1945 999,920 France Oct. 10, 1951 

